Dobby loop for use upon looms



March 23, 1965 B. WlLKlE 3,174,513

DOBBY LOOP FOR USE UPON LOOMS Filed July 16, 1963 FIG. 3

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. LORENZO B. WILKIE BY 5. V @M.)-.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent M 3,174,513 BOBBY LOOP FOR USE UPON LOOMS Lorenzo B. Wilkie, 205 Hutson St., Greenwood, S.C. Filed July 16, 1963, Ser. No. 295,473 1 Claim. (Cl. 139-84) This invention relates to improved means for connecting the dobby jack and harness frame of a loom. More particularly, the invention is an improved dobby loop, sometimes termed a jack eye.

Numerous types of dobby loops are known in the prior art, most of which are formed of metal and frequently include movable or detachable portions to facilitate connecting the dobby loop With the leader wire or cord which in turn passes over sheaves and is connected with the harness frame of the loom. Some prior art dobby loops have rollers or like means at one or both ends thereof to reduce friction. Generally, these prior art devices are too bulky, too costly and sometimes impractical. A need still exists in the art for an improved dobby loop, and one which overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies and at the same time is extremely economical to manufacture and install. Another common deficiency of the prior art resides in the fact that known dobby loops are not symmetrical or reversible end-for-end, thereby requiring some degree of knowledge and skill to install properly and frequently resulting in loss of time and improper functioning of the loom. In this last respect, one of the main objects of the invention is to provide a unitary or one piece completely symmetrical dobby loop which is reversible so that either end thereof may be attached to the dobby jack or leader wire and therefore no special skill or knowledge is required for proper installation and there is no chance for improper functioning of the loop once installed.

Another object is to provide a dobby loop which may be molded from nylon, plastic or other self-lubricating materials and which may be extremely slender and symmetrically tapered at both ends to reduce the possibility of interference or hanging up with adjacent loops arranged in side-by-side relation on the multiplicity of jacks found on the loom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent or will be mentioned during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a partly diagrammatic side elevation of my improved dobby loop installed upon a loom,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the dobby loop according to one preferred embodiment thereof,

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of .a dobby loop according to a slight modification of the invention, and

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, attention is directed first to FIGURES 1 through 3, wherein the numeral designates the frame of the loom, upon which are mounted sheaves 11 for receiving and guiding leader wires or cords 12 having their ends secured to eyes 13 on the usual harness frames 14. The numeral 15 designates one of a number of dobby jacks and it will be understood that a plurality of these jacks operate in closely spaced relation in conjunction with the harness mechanism, as is well known.

My improved dobby loop 16, FIGURES L3, is preferably formed of compressed fiber or the like and is unitary,

3,174,513 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 as shown. The dobby loop 16 is rectangular in cross section and elongated and is provided with a through slot 17, the rounded ends 18 of which are symmetrical and spaced equidistantly from the ends 19 of the dobby loop which are symmetrically tapered and substantially V-shaped, as shown. The side wall portions 20 adjacent slot 17 are formed as thin as possible for maximum clearance between adjacent loops during operation, and the slot 17 is formed only sufliciently wide to accommodate the notched upper end of the jack 15. The dobby loop 16 is smooth surfaced and free of burrs or rough spots and may be formed as depicted in FIGURES 2 and 3 by machining a section of compressed fiber.

As will be quite obvious from an inspection of the drawing, the dobby loop 16 being symmetrical is completely reversible as far as installation is concerned relative to the jack 15 and leader wire 12. One end of the slot 17 receives the bend 21 of the leader wire and the other end of the slot receives the top of the dobby jack 15 having the curved notches 22. The slot 17 is sized to accommodate the dobby jack and one of its notches with a minimum of friction and with stability. The dobby loop is strong, selflubricating and easy to install and is reversible and symmetrical, as stated. The tapered substantially V-shaped ends 19 and the slender construction of the dobby loop substantially precludes rubbing or interference with adjacent dobby loops on the loom. The device is reliable, efficient and long-lasting in operation and extremely economical to manufacture and install.

FIGURES 4 and 5 show a slight modification, wherein the dobby loop 23 is preferably formed by molding from nylon, plastic or like self-lubricating material. The construction is generally similar to that of dobby loop 16 and need not be repeated in detail but there are certain refinements. By virtue of the molding operation, the end Walls of the through slot 24 may be smoothly rounded at 25 to further reduce friction and to fit smoothly with the notches 22 of the jack 15 and the leader wire 12, as shown in FIGURE 1. The end walls of the slot 24 are rounded on radii Whose axes are substantially perpendicular to the sides of the slot and centered midway between the sides of the dobby loop having the slot opening therethrough, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. In all other respects, the molded dobby loop is substantially the same and possesses the same advantages enumerated above for the invention generally and in connection with the prior embodiment shown in FIGURE 2. As in the prior form of the invention, the opposite ends of the dobby loop 23, FIGURES 4 and 5, are tapered and substantially V-shaped. Due to the molding operations, there may be some slight differences in the dimensions and configuration of the dobby loop 23 .as compared to the dobby loop 16 but in all critical respects, the two forms of the invention are the same and function in the identical manner to achieve the mentioned objectives while on the loom.

By way of summation and comparison with the prior art, the instant dobby loop in either disclosed form thereof is smaller in overall dimensions, lighter and cheaper to make. It is self-lubricating, symmetrical or reversible, and therefore time-saving in installation. The tapered ends prevent interference with adjacent loops as stated. The dobby loops fit accurately and smoothly with the leader wires and dobby jacks.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A one-piece molded nylon dobby loop which is symmetrical and therefore reversible during installation or use, said dobby loop being substantially rectangular in cross section and elongated and having a centrally disposed longitudinal slot formed therethrough between opposite sides thereof, said slot extending for a major portion of the length of the dobby loop and terminating equidistantly from the ends thereof, said slot having opposite end walls which are smoothly rounded on radii whose axes are substantially perpendicular to the sides of the slot and centered midway between the sides of the dobby loop having the slot opening therethrough, and substantially V-shaped oppositely facing tapered ends on the (lobby loop whose sides constitute continuations of the sides of the dobby loop between which the slot is formed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,680,501 8/28 Coningswood 139-84 2,437,739 3/48 Harris l3984 2,591,397 4/52 Blanchard l3988 2,760,378 8/56 Van Deventer 13984 X 2,904,079 9 59 Moore 13984 2,919,722 1/60 Alford 13984 X OTHER REFERENCES Wall, William (3.: Product Engineering, Nylon in Bearings and Gears, July 1950, pages 102-107.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

